Three of Britain’s biggest childcare charities are at the centre of police investigations into allegations of child abuse, the Mail can reveal.

Detectives are probing claims that children were abused while in the care of Barnardo’s, Quarriers, and the Aberlour Child Care Trust.

Barnardo’s is the UK’s largest childcare charity, but has faced a series of allegations that children in its homes were beaten and raped.

Barnardo’s is the UK’s largest childcare charity, but has faced a series of allegations that children in its homes were beaten and raped. Undated file photo of its logo

Police Scotland last night revealed that it was investigating claims of historic abuse relating to all of the organisations.

The three organisations have come under scrutiny by the ongoing Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry (SCAI), which has heard a catalogue of abuse claims from survivors formerly in their care.

The developments come after 17 people, including nuns, were either arrested or reported to prosecutors as part of a separate investigation into the Daughters of St Vincent de Paul, the Catholic order which ran the now-defunct Smyllum Park orphanage in Lanark.

A source close to the latest police inquiry involving Barnardo’s, Quarriers and the Aberlour Child Care Trust said ‘there are live, ongoing investigations into persons associated’ with all three institutions.

It is understood the people under investigation are either ex-employees or former helpers and volunteers at childcare institutions.

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Detective Chief Inspector Laura Carnochan, of the National Child Abuse Investigation Unit at Police Scotland, said: ‘Investigating child abuse offences is highly complex and every care is taken to ensure that enquiries are proportionate, appropriate and that victims’ needs are central to our investigations.

‘If you or anyone you know has been a victim of abuse or wishes to report abuse you should feel confident in reporting to Police Scotland. We will listen and we will take action regardless of when or where the abuse occurred.’

The SCAI, which is investigating allegations of institutional child abuse in living memory, heard an allegation last month that a boy of 12 was raped by a Barnardo's home carer after a 'grooming' campaign that left him 'petrified'.

Killian Steele, 54, claimed the charity had issued 'reprimands' to the man who had abused him after suspicions were raised - but let him stay on.

He said: 'Barnardo's chose to protect him over me.

'This national organisation whose main purpose was to safeguard… disadvantaged children actually ignored allegations of sexual abuse.'

The developments come after 17 people, including nuns, were either arrested or reported to prosecutors as part of a separate investigation into the Daughters of St Vincent de Paul, the Catholic order which ran the now-defunct Smyllum Park orphanage in Lanark (file pic)

James Peoples, QC, senior counsel to the inquiry, said the SCAI had found the prosecution did not go ahead because of a lack of corroboration.

The SCAI has also heard a litany of appalling physical and sexual abuse claims at Quarriers Village in Bridge of Weir, Renfrewshire, including allegations of a paedophile ring.

Survivors have alleged abuse in the care of Aberlour, including sexual abuse, while there have also been claims that children were locked in a cupboard known as ‘the cooler’ for days at a time as a form of discipline meted out by Aberlour carers.

The inquiry was told in October that more than 360 people have made complaints of physical and sexual abuse at orphanages run by Quarriers, Barnardo's and the Aberlour Child Care Trust.

Police Scotland has revealed that it has so far examined 270,000 historical files in connection with the SCAI.

Stuart Gale, QC, representing Former Boys And Girls Abused of Quarriers Homes, has told the SCAI that until the 1980s, 'a regime of violence and beatings existed without proper restraint'.

He said many victims had not complained at the time due to 'fear of repercussion'.

During opening statements earlier this year, Quarriers and Aberlour apologised to those who suffered abuse while in their care.

Kate Dowdalls, QC, read a statement on behalf of Quarriers, saying she was 'instructed first to reiterate the unreserved apology that was offered to survivors of abuse on May 31, 2017, at the outset of the hearings during phase one of this inquiry'.

She added: 'Quarriers acknowledges children were subjected to physical, sexual and emotional abuse whilst in their care. It is acknowledged that abuse occurred across generations.

'Quarriers acknowledges there were shortcomings in its historical policies and practices which did not prevent abuse occurring.'

Steven Love, QC, for Aberlour, offered an 'unreserved apology' to abuse survivors and said it welcomed the opportunity to 'investigate the flaws' in its historical practices.

Gordon Jackson, QC, representing Barnardo's, said it was 'committed to learning from the past' to keep children safe and had adopted an 'open and supportive stance' towards the inquiry.

It has accepted that children had been abused while in its care, something it said was a ‘matter of deep regret’.

Previously, the SCAI has looked at establishments run by the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul, and now-defunct children's homes run by the Sisters of Nazareth – which is also the subject of a separate police investigation.

The SCAI’s first interim report, published in October, found children were abused, beaten and humiliated at Smyllum Park and Bellevue House in Rutherglen, also in Lanarkshire.

Following 20 days of evidence from survivors, SCAI chairman Lady Smith concluded: 'I find that children were abused in both Bellevue and Smyllum.